Rack frame



W. s. LEE

RACK FRAME may 18, 1925. 1,585,157

' Filed July 8 192d INVENTOR. Mlliam 5'. Lee

May 18 1926.

VI S.I EE

RACK FRAME Filed July 8. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 VAQk? IURNEY May 18 1926.r 1,585,157 w. 5. LEE

RACK FRAME A A Filed u y 8f 1924 s SheetsflSh eet s r P a 5: 2! f 5 f 0c z, o c I// g0 C 73 2/ O C I O C i O C 22 -IA- J, r 4\.

5: mTTORN/EY Patented May 18, 192%.

UNETE TAT PATENT WILLIAM S. LEE, OF QHAELGTTE, NORTH CAEOLEJT-TA,ASSIGNOR TO REALTY INVEST- MENT AND SECURITIES COMPANY 01? CHARLOTTE, OFCHARLOTTE, NORTH CARO- LINA, A CORPORATION OF NORTH CAROLINA.

RACK FRAME.

Application filed. July 8, 1924. Serial No. 724,919.

This invention is an improvement in racks, and with respect to its morespecific features to the character of racks employed to fend drift andthe like from water wheels 5 and like engines.

In the usual construction of rack of the character in question, therackv is either an integral structure or composed of a number ofintegral sections having an aggregate area equal to that of the rackdesired.

The breakage of a rack bar necessitates the removal of the entirestructure when of an integral character, or of an entire section when ofthe sectional type, so that the ultimate loss from the breaking of thebar includes the cost of the new section or rack, and the expense ofremoving the old and placing the new.

When sectional, the area of the rack must be calculated with the area ofa single section as a unit; that isthe sections must be of a size suchthat a specified number arranged in a specified relation will be of therequired aggregate area. Hence a rack constructed in the usual mannermust be designed for the particular place where it is to be set, andthere is no flexibility such as would permit the rack to be fitted. onthe spot to the requirements of the particular situation; 7

Racks of this character are difficult to clean properly. The teeth ofthe rake, by means of which the drift'is removed, catch upon the crossportions of the rack when the teeth are drawn between the bars, and suchportions of the rack cannot be cleaned properly, resulting in anincreasing accumulation of drift.

An object of the present invention is to provide a rack of simple andinexpensive construction, and of a character so flexible that it maybebuilt to fit practically any situation.

Another object is to provide a rack wherein each bar is independent ofthe remaining structure and readily removable therefrom when desired forany purpose.

Another object is to provide a construction of support for the bars,such that the teeth of the cleaning rake will not catch therein, butwill slip readily past, thereby to facilitate the keeping of the rackclean.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as mayhereinafter appear, my invention consists in the elements and'theirrelation one to the other,

as hereinafter defined in the appended claims, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which show a preferredembodiment of apparatus for carrying out the method, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the improved rack.

Figs. 2, 3, 6, 7 8 and 9, are sections on the lines 2-2; 33; 6-6; 77;8-8 and 99, respectively, ofFig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the upper portion of the rack, with partsbroken away.

Fig. 5 is a rear View of the upper portion, with parts broken away.

F ig.. 10 is a front view of the lower porside, or it may be composed ofindependent sections, as in the present instance, wherein each sectlon1S arranged 111 an lndependent opening 1 111 a wall 2 of a pen stock orthe like, the openings being arranged alongside each other as shown.

Each section is composed of a series of bars 3, which may be of a lengthto extend from top to bottom of the rack section, and of a suitablewidth and thickness. Thebars at the inlet face of the rack are supportedat their tops and bottoms only, whileat the outlet face of the rack,that is the rear face, the bars are supported intermediate their ends.The supporting means includes a number of members, each in the form ofan angle plate, composed of two portions extending at an angle withrespect to each other, one of the portions notched at spaced intervalsto receive the bars, and the other serving as an attaching means for themember. The holding member at the top is an angle plate 4, consisting ofportions extending at an obtuse angle, and one of the portions isriveted or otherwise secured to an angle plate 5, supported in a mannerto bepresently described, while the other portion which extendsdownwardly and rearwardly,

is notched at regular intervals, as shown at 6 in Fig. 4 to receive thebars 3. The holding member at the bottom of the bars is an angle plate7, the portions of which extend at a right angle, and one of theseportions is riveted to a plate 8 supported in a manner to be presentlydescribed, the other portion being notchec as indicated at 9 to receivethe bars.

Intermediate their ends the bars are held in spaced parallel relation onthe outlet or rear face of the rack by angle plates 10 and 11, anynumber of which may be provided, in accordance with the length of thebars, and the height of the rack. The angle plates 10 and 11 are similarto the angle plates 7 before mentioned, each having one portion notchedat 12 to receive the bars, and another portion extending atsubstantially right angles thereto, serving as a means to support theplate.

Each of the angle plates 11 is supported by an I beam 13, the ends ofwhich are anchored in the walls of the opening 1 in which the racksection is arranged. The angle plates 11 are riveted or otherwisesccured to the lowermost of the forward flanges of the I beam, as shownin Fig. and the I beams 13 are so spaced that sufficient rigidity willbe imparted to the bars The bars preferably extend the full length ofthe rack for convenience in cleaning, and at their lower ends they restupon a plate 14; whose ends are anchored in the walls of the openings 1.This plate 114,- is of a width corresponding to the aggregate width ofthe I beam 13 previously mentioned, and a bar 3, as clearly shown inFig. 3, and an angle plate 15, is riveted or otherwise secured to theplate 14:, forming an abutment for the rear edges of the bars Theattached portion of the angle plate 7 at the front serves a like purposefor the front edges of the bars, and the plate 8 before mentioned, isconnected to the plate 1.4 by means of an angle plate 16 beneath theplate 1%. A channel beam 17 is provided at the top of the rack, the endsthereof being anchored in the walls of the opening 1, and a plate 18riveted or otherwise secured to the front edge of the channel beam. Thisplate extends forwardly as shown, and is notched to receive the bars 3.The angle plate 5 before mentioned, rests upon the top of the bars 3, asshown in Fig. 3, and is secured to the plate 18 by means of bolts andnuts 19. \Vhen it is desired to remove a bar 3 for any purpose, theelements t and 5 are de tached from the plate 18 by releasing the boltsand nuts 19. This permits the selected bar to be lifted vertically todisengage the lower end from the abutments constituted by the angleplates 7 and 15.

The rear holding members for the bars 3 are of the type shown at 11,except the topmost which is of the type indicated at 10, and all of theintermediate holding members are in the rear of the rack, so that theentire length of the bars at the front or inlet side of the rack is freeand unobstructed, offering no impediment to the teeth of the cleaningrake. The horizontal portion of the angle plate 7 limits the downwardmovement of the rake and defines a starting point for the upwardmovement. When the teeth reach the upper end of the rack, they engagethe inclined portion of the angle plate, and are deflected outwardly, sothat the rack presents nothing in the nature of an obstruction for theteeth to catch upon.

The channel plate 17, the I beams 13, and the plate 1 of each section,are connected at their ends by means of angle plates 21 to verticallyarranged beams 2020 and these beams .are anchored within the material ofthe penst-ook wall at opposite sides of the opening 1, in which the racksection is arranged, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Suitable anchors 22 areconnected with the beams 20, with the channel beams 17, and with theplate 1%, for engaging deep within the material of the pen stock wall,thereby to firmly anchor the frame of the rack section, constituted bythe beams 17, 18, 2020,

and the plate 14. It will be noticed, referring to Fig. 2, that thereare four sections of the rack in the instance shown, and four openingsare provided for the sections. The central openings 1 are spaced apartby a wall 23, which is of greater thickness than the walls 24, whichspace apart the two racks at each side of the center. The beams 20",which are embedded in the walls 2 1, are in effect I beams, but each iscomposed of two channel beams arranged back to back in spaced relation,and secured together by means of plates 25, which are riveted orotherwise secured to the flanges of the beams. All of the sections arealike, and each is a complete rack within itself. It will be obviousthat the entire width of the rack may be a single section if desired.

In building the rack sections, the frames may be anchored in the penstock wall encircling the openings 1, and the bars placed wheneverdesired. In cleaning the rack, the rake teeth move between the bars, butdo not extend far enough to engage the supporting members at the rear ofthe bars, and the rake has free movement from the top to the bottom ofthe rack. Should a bar become broken or otherwise damaged, it is easilyremoved and replaced by a new bar, if necessary, merely by loosening thenuts of the bolts 19, and removing the elements 4 and 5, which releasesthe bars.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A rack of the class described, comprising a plurality of independentbars, a plurality of independent means to hold the bars in a commonplane, and in spaced substantially parallel relation, the holding meansincluding means to prevent longitudinal sliding movement of the bars inone direction, and a detachable element preventing longitudinal movementof the bars in the opposite direction, and permitting when detachedindependent movement of any selected bar. p

2. A rack of the class described, comprising a plurality of independentbars, a plurality of independent I means to hold the bars in a commonplane, and in spaced substantially parallel relation, the holding meansincluding means to prevent longitudinal sliding movement of the bars inone direction, and a detachable element preventing longitudinal movementof the bars in the opposite direction, and permitting When detachedindependent movement of any selected bar, the holding means alsoincluding members extending transversely of the bars at opposite sidesthereof, and notched to receive the bars.

3. A rack of the class described, comprising a plurality of independentbars, means to hold the bars in spaced parallel relation and in a commonplane, said means comprising members at the top and bottom of the rack,notched to receive the bars, and another member at the opposite side ofthe bars intermediate the ends thereof and similarly notch-ed.

4. A rack of the class described, comprising a plurality of independentbars, means to hold the bars in spaced parallel relation and in a commonplane, said means including a support for the lower ends of the bars,and members at opposite sides of the bars notched to receive the bars,the members at one face of the rack being staggered with respect tothose at the other face.

5. A rack of the class described, comprising a plurality of independentbars, and means to hold the bars in spaced parallel relation and in acommon plane, said means including members at the opposite faces of therack notched to receive the edges of the bars, said members above thebottom of the rack inclined upwardly to deflect the teeth of a cleaningrake.

6. A rack of the class described, comprising a plurality of independentbars, and means to hold the bars in spaced parallel relation and in acommon plane, said means including members at opposite faces of the racknotched to receive the edges of the bars, said members inclining towardthe ends of the rack.

7 A rack of the class described, comprising a plurality of independentbars, and means to hold the bars in spaced parallel relation, includingmembers notched to receive the bars, said members intermediate the endsof the bars at one face of the rack,

the top and bottom of the bars at the other 1 face, thereby to leave thebars unobstructed between the top and bottom at the first named face,the member at the top of the bars inclining downwardly and toward theother face of the rack.

9. A rack of the class described, comprising a plurality of independentbars, means engaging the ends of the bars to hold them in spacedrelation against lateral movement, and the holding means including meansto hold the bars from longitudinal movement in one direction and adetachable element for normally restraining them from longitudinalmovement in the opposite direction.

10. In a rack of the class described, in cluding a plurality ofindependent bars, means engaging the opposite ends of the bars toprevent lateral movement thereof, and in cluding means engaging the barsat one face of the rack to hold them in spaced relation, one of saidmeans detachable to permit removal of a bar or bars.

11. A rack of the class described, comprising a plurality of independentbars, a frame having means to support the bars against longitudinalmovement and movement lat eral With respect to the frame, one of saidmeans detachable to permit removal of a bar or bars, and each of saidmeans having mechanism to hold the bars in spaced relation.

12. A. rack of the class described, comprising a plurality ofindependent bars, a frame having means to support the bars againstlongitudinal movement and movement lateral With respect to the frame,one of said means detachable to permit removal of a bar or bars, andeach of said means having mechanism to hold the bars in spaced relation,said mechanism engaging the bars at one face of the rack.

13. A rack of the class described, comprising a plurality of independentbars, a frame having means to support the bars against longitudinalmovement and movement lateral with respect to the frame, one of saidmeans detachable to permit removal of a bar or bars, and each of saidmeans having mechanism to hold the bars in spaced relation, saidmechanism engaging the bars at one face of the rack, and other holdingmechanism at the other face of the rack intermediate the ends thereof.

14:. A rack of the class described, comprismg a plurality of similarsections, each including a plurality of individual bars, and a framehaving means tov support the bars against longitudinal movement andagainst movement lateral with respect to the frame,

one of said means detachable to permit re moval of a bar or bars, andeach of said means having mechanism to hold the bars in spaced relation.

15. A rack of the classdescribed, comprising a plurality of similarsections, each in eludinga plurality of individual bars, and

a frame having means to support the bars against longitudinal movementand agamst movement lateral with respect to the frame,

one of said means detachable to permit re moval ofa bar or bars, andeach of said means having mechanism to hold the bars inspaced relation,said mechanism engaging the bars at one face of the rack.

Signed at Charlotte, in the county of Mecklenburg and State of NorthCarolina, this 23 day of June- A. D. 1924.

WILLIAM S. LEE.

